NO REOPENING CAN BE CONSIDERED BEFORE WE CAN TEST THE ENTRANTS

Iceland has a similar per capita hospital beds as the US and about half that of France. The tertiary care hospitals of Iceland are in Reykjavik (capital and population center) and Akureyri,. Each of the other 5 "health regions" have regional general service hospitals. As with St Barth, Iceland uses "air ambulances" for transport as needed (of course, the rural areas of Iceland are not populous and do not have a supply of villas to attract St Barth level tourism...).

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For St-Barth, how the regional vs. the island hospital bed capacity is factored in to decisions by the prefecture, central government, and ARS will be interesting to see.

I believe that even if regional capacity is used, the lack of resuscitative capabilities on island would still need to factored in as a major limitation. COVID patients of all age groups who deteriorate to a level requiring ventilatory support tend to do so precipitously (mainly in week 2) and reliable early predictors of those at risk for this demise have not yet been discovered. So although on island capacity for isolating and monitoring cases (stated as 1-3 with current configuration) might be further expanded to all, and even beyond, the island's hospital beds (listed as 20 here), the capability to care for COVID patients on island would be questionable. There are, of course, ways to enhance resuscitative capabilities on island but that's another discussion...

All that being said, I think that since St Barth needs to prepare for the eventual return of tourists, be they from mainland France (with PM Philippe now stating "the French will be able to go on vacation to France in July and August. And when I say in France, it's obviously in France and overseas"), the EU or the US before a vaccine or real treatment comes on line (early 2021 is a highly aggressive goal), the island can benefit from seeing Iceland's upcoming experience in quarantining and tracking tourists despite significant differences between the two locations.

BTW, one thing that I have noticed at my home bunker in a location that about triples its population in summer (an adjacent town increases population about twentyfold during peak weeks) is that tourists who have found a way to visit now tend to have a "what pandemic?" mindset... they are still thankfully few but calls of "ready or not, here we come" are sounding less distant with each passing day... may be time to plan on heading to the Reykjanes and playing some Buffett while in quarantine...
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An interesting read. We were scheduled to arrive in April for Les Voiles - our first trip to SB. Now I wonder if we will ever get there. In regard to the Oct/Nov soft opening mentioned above, it's important to remember that one of Dr. Fauci's major concerns has been a second Covid-19 surge coinciding with the Fall/Winter seasonal flu. Add to that, the fact that a substantial percentage of the US population refuses to immunize themselves and tourism from the States seems even more problematic for the people of SB. Air transportation from the US? US airlines are cutting back flights and threatening that they may be forced into bankruptcy. So how to get there? Some flights are at a third of capacity, but others are packed. I would have to think long and hard about boarding a full plane for a lengthy flight. (Maybe Dad can organize a small charter from the DC/VA/MD area and invite us to join?) When I think of the people of SB who have had a strict government to protect them and who themselves seem to have been so disciplined and patient, awaiting the opening of the floodgates, I can't help but think of isolated communities all over the world and throughout history that suffered when the outside world came flooding in. Please forgive this less than sunny post, from a glass-half-empty girl.
 
... I can't help but think of isolated communities all over the world and throughout history that suffered when the outside world came flooding in. Please forgive this less than sunny post, from a glass-half-empty girl.


Who knows where we might be if Bart's famous older brother and those who followed after had not brought an assortment of infections (smallpox, plague, measles, etc.) to people with no previous exposure?... upwards of 90% of some populations were wiped out..

Things worked a very much in reverse once against the French in the Caribbean - immunity to yellow fever in the Africans of the Haitian slave rebellion, whose numbers had ironically been bolstered by increased need for workers due to colonists and native workers getting this disease that had been brought through the slave trade, greatly helped their gaining independence... which in turn led to Napolean rethinking the French Empire in the Americas, which in turn led to the Louisiana Purchase, effectively doubling the size of the US, which could have already been larger if smallpox had not gotten in the way when the colonial army moved to take Canada from the English but may not have existed if Washington did not later act to inoculate his troops...

Among many examples that lead some to believe infectious diseases have been as important as wars in shaping human history... Happy Pandemic Friday!




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we are not an island that lives paycheck to paycheck. If we were shellona could not charge 350 euros minimum for lunch sometimes. and their normal prices are not low either. the food prices at most restaurants are beyond high. we do have some places with what I would call normal pricing, but very few.

the hotels and villas on st. barths are priced way out of the ballpark, especially since the island of sxm which is a ten minute flight away is 1/4 of our prices.

waiting a mere six months to allow tourists to enter the island should just be a drop in the bucket, ( November will be here before we know it, time flies don't you know ) doubt that this money will even be missed by most villa owners. Eve had mentioned Nikki workers, those workers are not here anyway, they are in the EU somewhere.

It would not make sense to bring those workers back even if the island opens the borders right now. The problem would be if they brought the workers back, then if the virus becomes a problem on the island, the island is going to be shut down again, and if by chance the workers are able to get back out again to their home country, there would be a longer wait before the borders would open again. It would not make sense to bring the workers back before we know everything is okay on the island.
 
"doubt that this money will even be missed by most villa owners."
I would dare to estimate that some Villa Owners might find your comment not very sensitive.

 
I would also agree the comments are not only insensitive but lack total awareness and disregard for all the small restaurants and stores that are trying to survive month to month when the Island is open. They barely survived Irma, and they are not part of the mega investment deep pockets businesses but are owner run. They not only have zero income but are still responsible for the rent for their business and personal accommodations for themselves and their staff!!!
 
I would also agree the comments are not only insensitive but lack total awareness and disregard for all the small restaurants and stores that are trying to survive month to month when the Island is open. They barely survived Irma, and they are not part of the mega investment deep pockets businesses but are owner run. They not only have zero income but are still responsible for the rent for their business and personal accommodations for themselves and their staff!!!

Absolutely but probably considered non-essential by some folks on this forum. Glad to see this isn't becoming an echo chamber.
 
in a dream world, St Barth's population would be :
- villa owners who don't need money,
- restaurant owners who charge 350€/pers for a lunch,
- people who owns their house and don't need to work,
- seasonal staff who is away, busy at making a bunch money , no doubt...,
- and more generally : people who don't mind staying 8 months with no work, no income.

It may be weird (or new to some),
but many people on this island do not fit these categories.
 
Laurent, the 350 euros per person for lunch was not in a dream world. it happened over the holidays.

Kevins quote on january 10th on this forum: "What little interest I had in Shellona faded completely when they were charging a minimum of 350E per person over the holidays".

I get your frustration Laurent, I wish the island could be open tomorrow, but its just not safe to be open right now. The residents and the prefect I am sure will choose health over money. its the only smart choice that they have.
 
Yes it is. 90% irony.
As Ellen and I agreed, one hopes there’s a happy medium.
Beginning of the season sounds reasonable to me given where we are and hurricane season upon us.
Not that I have a vote in the matter...
 
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